In my innocent youth, I was a paragon of virtue, but after wandering for so long in the red dust of this world I had joined the forces of evil

In the sixty third episode of The Translated Chinese Fiction we are Dancing Through Red Dust (原谅我红尘颠倒 / Yuánliàng Wǒ Hóngchén Diāndǎo), a nightmarish lurch through the PRC (il)legal system dreamed up by the Shandong webnovelist-turned-dissident Murong Xuecun. Presiding over the court with me is Murong’s esteemed translator, editor, publisher, and friend: Harvey Tomlinson. What have judges to do with the Jinpingmei? What has loss to do with licentiousness? How does Buddhism end up parceled in with backhand business? You shut up and listen. We’ll deliver the verdict.

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// NEWS ITEMS //

Strange Beasts of China lands a spot on the NYT’s 100 Notable Books of 2021
How an American fell in love with China and Chinese - Great SCMP article on/by translator/Mr Paper Republic, Eric Abrahamsen
New & queued TrChFic Patreon episodes: 2046, The Road Home, Taiwan symposium, Faraway, and a kehuan battle royale
Sinoist Books have upgraded their website

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// WORDS OF THE DAY //

(晚 & 碗 - wǎn & wǎn - ‘evening’ and ‘bowl’)

(色 - sè - here meaning ‘carnality’)

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// MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE //

Leave Me Alone by Murong Xuecun himself
The Strike - Harvey’s experimental syntax novel
Red dust 红尘 - a Sino-Buddhist concept
The Plum in the Golden Vase and a horrible Jin Ping Mei anime doll
Running Around Beijing by Xu Zechen
Northern Girls by Sheng Keyi

Ep 63 - Murong Xuecun and Dancing Through Red Dust with Harvey Tomlinson